Roma Slideshow

Pages

Thursday, June 3, 2010

BERGAMO GIORNI 23: THE QUARTERBACK

ON SEPTEMBER 12TH THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS OPEN THEIR NEW PALACE AT 1 PM AGAINST THE CAROLINA PANTHERS..ITS A DAWN OF A NEW DAY..LYING IN ITS SHADOWS IS GIANTS STADIUM.

I AM NOT OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER ANY OTHER STADIUM THAT THE GIANTS EVER PLAYED IN..I WORKED WITH PAT SUMMERALL AND KNOW STORIES OF THE BLUE SHIRTS PLAYING IN YANKEE STADIUM..I HAVE TALKED WITH GIFFORD AND OTHERS FROM THAT FAMED ERA ABOUT WHAT FOOTBALL WAS LIKE..

BUT FOR ME IT WILL BE A SAD DAY KNOWING FOOTBALL WON'T BE PLAYED IN GIANTS STADIUM ANY LONGER..MEMORIES AND GHOSTS AND HIGLIGHTS SWIRL TOGETHER MUCH LIKE THE WINDS THAT BLEW THROUGH THAT ELECTRIC ARENA ON AUTUMN AFTERNOONS.

AND THE MOST CELEBRATED PLAYER TO EVER WEAR A GIANTS UNIFORM, IN ANY ERA, WAS LAWRENCE TAYLOR..AKA..L.T....THE ORIGINAL L.T....NO ONE PLAYER IN THE HSTORY OF THAT STORIED FRANCHISED CAPTURED THE IMMENSE GIANT FANBASE LIKE L.T...NO ONE OF THAT MAGNITUDE WILL EVER SIEZE THE CROWD OR PUT FEAR IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE OPPNENETS LIKE L.T.

HE WAS A GOD...HE WOULD WALK INTO MADISON SQUARE GARDEN TO SIT IN ONE OF THOSE FANCY OVERPRICED GARDEN SEATS RESERVED FOR THE CELEBRITIES AND SIT NEXT TO SPIKE LEE AND INSTANTLY...THE GARDEN CROWD ECHOED CHANTS OF ..."L.T....L.T....L.T..."..HE WALKED ON WATER

BEFORE THEIR WAS L.T. IN NEW YORK...THEIR WAS BRAD VAN PELT...THERE WEREN'T CHANTS OF VAN PELT BY THE CROWDS..HE DIDN'T WALK ON WATER..HE WASN'T EVER THE CELEBRATED PLAYER THAT LAWRENCE TAYLOR BECAME..BUT HE WAS GOOD..DAMN GOOD..

ODDLY VAN PELT WORE #10..NO LINEBACKER BEFORE OR SINCE EVER PUT THAT NUMBER ON AT THAT POSITION BEFORE OR SINCE..BUT HE WAS DRAFTED OUT OF MICHIGAN STATE AS A PUNTER.AND AS A SAFETY..HE WAS GIVEN THE SAME NUMBER HE WORE IN COLLEGE

HE WOULD GO ONTO PLAY IN 4 PRO-BOWLS...HE MADE THE SWITCH FROM SAFETY TO LINEBACKER...I CAN COUNT THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS WHO EVER SUCCESSFULLY MADE THAT TRANSITION ON ONE HAND..AND NO ONE WHO WENT ON TO PLAY IN 4 PRO-BOWLS

I CALLED COACH BILL PARCELLS ABOUT HIM A FORTNIGHT BACK AND ASKED ABOUT COACHING HIM..HE GUSHED!..HE SAID, "BY TIME I BECAME THE LINEBACKER'S COACH WITH THE GIANTS HE HAD ALREADY MADE THE TRANSITION FROM SAFETY TO LINEBACKER...HE MADE MY JOB EASY..AND HE WAS THE LEADER..NOT JUST OF THE LINEBACKERS THAT INCLUDED HALL OF FAMER, HARRY CARSON, BUT OF THE DEFENSE AND OF THE TEAM."..HE WALKED..HE TALKED..PLAYERS FOLLOWED."

MY BROTHER, BIG RICH, WS A ROOKIE WITH THE NY GIANTS IN 1982...DRAFTEDAS A TACKLE, HE SPENT MANY TRAINING CAMP DAYS TRYING TO PASS BLOCK VAN PELT..SCHOOL WAS IN SESSION...USED AND ABUSED ON A DAILY BASIS...ON ONE SIDE L.T....ON THE OTHER SIDE VAN PELT..PICK YOUR POISON...ULTIMATELY PLAYING AGAINST THOSE 2 OLB'S HE WOULD IMPROVE DAILY AND EVENTUALLY CARVE OUT A 12 YEAR CAREER

AWAY FROM IL CAMPO...VAN PELT LEAD THE TEAM DURING TRAINING CAMP IN PING PONG..BEER PONG..TURNING THE CAMPUS BAR AT PACE UNIVESITY INTO A QUICK PARTY UNTIL CURFEW CHECK...AND THEN SOME NIGHTS LONG AFTER BED CHECK..BOYZ WILL BE BOYZ

HE WAS A NATURAL..WEIGHT ROOM???.UH..FOR WHAT?...SPRINTS AFTER PRACTICE?...FROM THE SCUOLA VECCHIO...MY BROTHER WOULD SAY.."IF YOU GET TIRED IN PRACTICE ITS YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT.'..IT WAS ABOUT SUNDAYS..IT WAS ABOUT THE GAME..FUN WAS GAMEDAY..PRACTICE WAS TO HAVE A GOOD TIME

AND FOTBALL WASN'T THE ONLY SPORT HE EXCELLED IN..PARCELLLS SAID HE EASILY COULD AVE PLAYED PRO BASEBALL..WAS DRAFTED TO DO SO..NOT ENOUGH CONTACT..SEASON WAS TOO LONG..BASKETBALL AS WELL SINCE HE WAS A STAR IN THAT SPORT IN COLLEGE AS WELL...ROBERT REDFORD COULD HAVE EASILY PLAYED THE PART OF VAN PELT IN HIS ROLE AS IL NATURALE

I MENTION ALL OF THIS, IMPORTANTLY, BECAUSE HIS SON IS OUR QUARTERBACK..BRADLEY HUNTER VAN PELT IS A NATURAL...WE WOULD NOT BE PREPARING FOR THE PLAYOFFS WITHOUT HIM..NIENTE NIENTE....WE WOULD HAVE PACKED OUR BAGS AND OUR MEMORIES LONG TIME AGO

VAN PELT....OUR QUARTERBACK

IN OUR LAST GAME AGAINST REGGIO EMILIA HE STRUGGLED MIGHTILY..IN FACT HE WAS AWFUL..HE COMPLETED A GRAND TOTAL OF 7 PASSES AGAINST A DEFENSE THAT RESEMBLED THE NEW YORK LIFE DEFESNE OF TV COMMERCIAL FAME WHERE ALL THE DEFENDERS FELL DOWN EVERY PLAY AD THE OFFENSE WALKED IN TO SCORE TOUCHDOWWNS

BUT WITH THE GAME HANGING IN THE BALANCE HE MADE THE LAST 2 PLAYS TO WIN AND ALLOW US TO MOVE ON

THIS BLOG CANNOT ALLOW ME TO RECREATE THE DRAMA IN WHICH WE WON..BUT GIVE ME A SHOT TO SET IT UP

WE WERE DOWN 26-19 WITH 14 SECONDS REMAINING AND COUNTING..NO TIMEOUTS....HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A PASS TO THE HOGS 1 YARD LINE...3RD AND GOAL...THE PLAY WAS TO SPIKE IT TO STOP THE CLOCK.."KILL..KILL..KILL"..WAS BEING EMPHATICALLY SHOUTED FROM THE SIDELINES..IF WE DO IT WE HAVE A 4TH DOWN PLAY..NEEDING ONLY ONE YARD THEN TO MAKE THE SCORE 26-25..

HE TOOK THE SNAP FROM MIRKO...AND ALL EYES FROM THE SIDELINE IN A SLOW MOTION YELP..SAID N???.....WHEN HE QB SNEAKED OVER MARIO "SUNRISE" ALBA TO SCORE THE TOUCHDOWN WITH UNDER 5 SECONDS TO GO...

WE GOT THE SCORE..NOW WHAT DO WE DO?..OUR XTRA POINT OPERATION HAS BEEN A CRAPSHOOT ALL YEAR..THE PROBLEM IS THAT VAN PELT IS OUR BEST SNAPPER..OUR BEST HOLDER..OUR BEST KICKER..SINCE WE HAVEN'T FIGURED A WAY YET TO GET HIM TO DO ALL THREE PHASES WE ELECTED TO GO FOR 2

EVERY TEAM IS IN SEARCH OF THE QUARTERBACK

PLAY CALLED..DEFENSE CAME WITH THE BLITZ..OPENED UP A HOLE ON A QUICK SLANT TO MATTEO..BALL DELIVERED PERFECTLY..BALL WAS JUGGLED MOMENTARILY..BUT THE CATCH WAS SECURED..THE SIDELINES ERUPTEED...WE WOULD ADVANCE IN THE PLAYOFFS...IT WAS OUR 3RD DRAMATIC WIN AS TIME EXPIRED, ALL ENGINEERED BY VAN PELT.

AWAY FROM THE CLEBRATION WAS THE QUARTERBACK..HE WASN'T SURE IF HE SHOULD CELEBRATE WITH SPONTANEOUS JOY OR HANG HIS HEAD FOR SUCH A POOR PERFORMANCE...ITS THE COMPETITOR IN HIM..WE LIVE FOR ANOTHER DAY, BUT FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE THEIR HARSHEST CRITIC...HOW DO WE STOP THE DVD IN YOUR HEAD FROM REPLAYING ALL OF THE BAD PLAYS??..POOR DECISIONS..MISSTEPS..IT IS A NIGHTMARE FOR ATHLETES..EVEN THE GOOD ONES HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THE NONSTOP RECALL BUTTON..IT DOESN'T SHUT OFF SOMETIMES UNTIL THE NEXT GAME.

IN PERSPECTIVE, VAN PELT IS HONEST ABOUT HIS PLACE HERE IN BERGAMO, ITALY..WHILE SOME AMERICANS ARE VASTLY DISILLUSIONED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE, AND THINK IT IS A STEPPING PIETRE TO THE NFL, VAN PELT IS NOT..HE IS CLEAR ABOUT THAT..HE IS NOT HERE TO SECURE SOME GAME FILM AND SEND IT BACK TO THE NFL FOR ONE MORE GO ROUND.

MUCH LIKE HIS FATHER HE IS A NATURAL ATHLETE..WOULD RATHER SCALE MACHU PICHU UNDER A BLISTERING SUN THAN TO CIRCUIT TRAIN AT BALLY'S FITNESS...WOLD RATHER BODY SURF THE UNDERTOW'S AT ZUMA THAN TO RUN ANOTHER MILE ON A TREADMIL...BUT HE IS OUR KICKER..HE IS OUR PUNTER..HE IS OUR BEST DEFENDER AT ALMOST EVERY POSITION ON DEFESNE..HE HAS PLAYED HURT..COME BACK FROM A HYPEREXTENDED KNEE, A SWOLLEN ANKLE..CAN'T ASK MUCH MORE FROM A PLAYER WHO HAS CUT THE CHORD TO THE EMPTY PROMISES OF A PRO FOOTBALL CARREER

PREGAME VS THE HOGS...THE GAMES ARE FUN

HE IS NOW IN THE WINE BUSSINESS..HE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT IT..USE ITALY AS A BASE TO LEARN ABOUT THE MAKING..THE PROCESSING ..THE DISTRIBUTION OF ITALIA'S FAVORITO BEBENDE....TRY FOOLING HIM ON A TASTERS TEST BETWEEN A FERRARI FROM TRIESTE TO A FRANCIACORTE FROM LOMBARDIA OR A CHIANTI FROM TOSCANO AND A VOLPICLELLO FROM VENETO...NEVER FOOLED..AND THATS ONLY VINO ITALIA..YOU WANT TO PARLA VINO...THEN YOU AVE HIS ATTENTION ALL DAY

VINI.....VITA.....VEDI...THERE IS TRUTH AND LIFE IN WINE

HIS NFL STORY IS NOT UNLIKE MANY WHO TRY TO PLAY QUARTERBACK..DRAFTED OUT OF COLORADO STATE IN THE 7TH ROUND BY THE DENVER BRONCOS, HE WAS EAGER TO LEARN UNDER QB GURUS LIKE MIKE SHANAHAN AND GARY KUBIAK..IN FRONT OF HIM WAS JAKE PLUMMER WHO WAS NEWLY ACQUIRED FROM TE ARIZONA CARDINALS...TIME..PRACTICE..OFF-SEASON..PRE-SEASON WAS SPENT GETTING JAKE UP TO SPEED TO ENGINEER AN OFFENSE THAT ONLY SHINED WHEN A GUY NAMED ELWAY TOOK HIS TEAM TO B 2 B SUPER BOWL VICTORIES TO END HIS ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER

FOR VAN PELT...ASPETTI ASPETTI..WAIT YOUR TURN...AND AS A ROOKIE HE DID..BUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR THEY WOULD SELECT A FREAKISH TALENT NAMED CUTLER, JAY CUTLER...JEFF GEORGE REINCARNATED..THE ARM MAKES YOU MARVEL..THE GUTS OF A BURGLER..AS CLOSE TO COCKY AS BILL O"REILLY IS TO THE RIGHT OF THE POLITICAL WORLD...FOR VAN PELT..ASPETTI ASPETTI...

NO COACHING..NO REPS...SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE CAN ERODE LIKE THE ICE OFF AN ALASKAN GLACIER IN THE DEAD OF SUMMER..WHEN GIVEN A SLIVER OF A CHANCE IN A PRESEASON GAME TO SHOW WHAT HE CAN DO HIS FIRST PASS WOULD SLIP OUT OF THE BACK OF HIS HAND AND BE FUMBLED AWAY..SHANAHAN GAVE HIM THAT FROZEN GLARE THAT CAN EVAPORATE ANY REMAINING CONFIDENCE A QB COULD HAVE AFTER SUCH A MELE'

IT WAS ONTO HOUSTON WHEN KUBIAK TOOK THE CAPO ROLE...HE WOULD BACK UP A STIFF NAMED CARR, DAVID CARR....FORMER 1ST PICK IN THE DRAFT THAT WOULD STRUGGLE TO LEAD A CUBSCOUT UNIT...HE HAD THE TOUGHNESS OF THE LION IN WIZARD OF OZZ...NEXT YEAR WOULD SEE MATT SCHAUB SIGN AS A KEY FREE AGENT...CAN THROW WHEN HE HAS TIME..BUT LIKE THE JETS SHOWED IN WEEK 1 LAST YEAR..HIT HIM IN LA BOCA A FEW TIMES IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND PICK UP THE HYMNBOOKS...THE MASS HAS ENDED

BEFORE HE WAS OUT THE NFL DOOR THEIR WAS A COURTESY PHONE CALL FROM BILL PARCELLS..HE IS GOOD LIKE THAT...COACHED HIS DAD..MAYBE TAKE A SHOT ON THE SON..EXCEPT THAT YEAR THEY HAD A GUY NAMED ROMO THAT THEY WERE READY TO SEE WHAT HE COULD DO..I GUESS WE KNOW HOW THAT STORY HAS PLAYED OUT

ITS WHAT MADE THE NFL EUROPE LEAGUE SO ATTRACTIVE FOR MANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED QB'S..THEY FINALLY GOT A CHANCE TO PLAY..TO LEAD..TO WIN BACK THEIR CONFIDENCE....TO GET A 2ND OR A 3RD CHANCE...JAKE DELHOMME WENT THERE TWICE..IN HIS FIRST SEASON WITH AMSTERDAM HE BACKED UP A FORMER GROCERY CLERK NAMED WARNER....NON IN BOCA LUPO ..THE NEXT YEAR HE WOULD LEAD THE FRANKFURT GALAXY TO THE WORLD BOWL...EVENTUALLY HE WOULD LEAD THE CAROLINA PANTHERS TO A THRILLING SUPER BOWL LOSS...NON POSSILBILI ...WITHOUT THE 2ND AND 3RD CHANCES THAT NFL EUROPA AFFORDED HIM

ALL FOOTBALL LEAGUE'S ARE QB DRIVEN REGARDLESS OF THE STYLE OF OFFENSE YOU RUN..THE BALL IS IN LUI LE MANI EVERY PLAY...HE HAS TO BE A LEADER..HE HAS TO BE THE FACE OF THE ORANIZATION..HE HAS TO SHOULDER THE BLAME WHENEVER YOU LOSE

THE PROBLEM WITH DISCOVERING QB'S IS THAT ONLY ONE CAN PLAY AT A TIME..IT IS THE ONLY POSITION ON THE FIELD WHERE THIS IS THE CASE...AND HE CAN ONLY BE EVALUATED IN REAL LIVE ACTION

I SARDONICALLY SMIRK EVERYTIME I READ AN ARTICLE SAYING HOW SAM BRADFORD COMPLETED 55 OF 57 PASSES IN HIS PRIVATE WORKOUT..IN SHORTS..WITH NO DEFNESE..WELL LALLIDA LALLIDA..BIG WHOOP..SO DID JEFF GEORGE AND JOEY HARRINGTON AND DAVID CARR AND RYAN LEAF AND ...I CAN'T GO ON..EVERY ONE OF THESE STIFFS MADE ME PUKE...NOT AN OUNCE OF TOUGHNESS OR LEADERSHIP IN ANY OF 'EM...OH I CAN GO ON..JAMARCUS..AND MCKNOWN..AND KLNGLER...STOP ME STOP ME!

SO NO COACHING..NO 3RD CHANCES..NO NFLEUROPA...AND VAN PELT IS HERE IN BERGAMO..HE WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW..ITS SAD..BUT IT HAPPENS..ALOT..NOTHING WORSE IN LIFE THAN TO NOT KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED..NOTHING..LET ME FAIL..LET ME FALL..LET ME STRIKE OUT..BUT AT LEAST LET ME TRY

HE HAS KICKED THE GAME WINNER AGAINST ROME

WE HAVE MANY PROBLEMS THIS YEAR HERE IN BERGAMO..SOME HAVE BEEN RECOUNTED IN EARLIER BLOGS...SOME ARE BETTER LEFT UNSTATED..BUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS STILL IN OUR GRASP...WE ARE 1 0F 4 TEAMS STILL STANDING..A CHAMPIONSHIP WOULD BE A GENTLE REMINDER OF WHY WE ARE HERE..WE CAN AGGRANDIZE THE STORIES INTO TALL TALES AS YEARS GO BY...BUT EVERYONE WANTS TO CLAIM A CHAMPONSHIP ON THEIR LIFE'S RESUME'

OUR PLAYOFF GAME IS AGAINST THE DESPISED PARMA PANTHERS..PART OF THE DISLIKE IS THE NATURAL RIVALRIES THAT EXIST IN THIS LEAGUE..MUCH IS TRUMPED UP BECAUSE IN JOHN GRISHAM'S BOOK, "PLAYING FOR PIZZA" THE PARMA PANTHERS LEAD BY THEIR AGED NFL VETERAN QB WITH NO WHERE ELSE TO PLAY LEADS HIS PANTHERS TO VICTORY AGAINST THE BERGAMO LIONS...THE STORY IS EARILY FAMLIAR TO WHAT IS PLAING OUT THIS YEAR

AND THE ONLY CHANCE WE HAVE IS WITH VAN PELT PLAYING AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME..HE IS THE LEAGUE'S BEST PLAYER..AND WITH HIM IN THE SADDLE WE HAVE A CHANCE

BECAUSE IN THE GAME OF FOOTBALL YOU ONLY GO SO FAR AS THE QUARTERBACK WILL TAKE YOU